An Imperfect World
by Author1720
Summary: The world of Pokemon continues on, as imperfect as it may seem. One man has a vision of perfection, a rather violent one. As Champion of her region, Aline Carrol has to do everything in her power to save her region. Will she prevail? What price does she have to pay for it?
1. Flashback 1

_Flashback 1_

Steven was flipping through his Pokémon Origins textbook; he was already a little late for the first class and he didn't want to be lost in the middle of class either. He kept his notepad open to jot down important notes, a habit of his since he was old enough to write.

He glanced around the classroom. It was quite big, with more than 40 students in the same room. All of them looked different from each other. He spotted a pair of twins chattering to each other excitedly and smiled. _Being the only child isn't easy._

There were almost as many girls as boys in this class, most of them part of the whole Theory course. Directly to his side sat a lavender haired boy who looked like he would've given anything to be out of this class. A blond girl sat two seats after his; the chair in between was empty, but she didn't sit there. Steven wondered if he seemed unapproachable. He didn't concern himself with it overly, however.

A blond haired woman entered the class and they all stood up and greeted her. She smiled pleasantly, and gestured for them all to sit. She whipped out a blue marker and wrote 'Pokémon Origins' on the whiteboard. Under that, she wrote a name- Aurea Juniper.

Steven guessed that this was the professor's name was Aurea. He remembered what his father had told him. He realized that this woman was also the residing Pokémon Professor of Unova.

"Good morning, everyone!" said the professor. "My name is Professor Aurea Juniper, and I'm from Unova. I will be teaching you Pokémon Origins for this year." Steven nodded at the professor. The lady continued.

"I do see some familiar faces here and there," she commented. "A few repeaters, I see?" The lavender haired boy to Steven's right sighed and raised his hand. Steven looked around the classroom and saw a few other hands up as well.

 _This course must be quite difficult,_ he thought. _If there are repeaters, then I should probably work hard to pass with merit._ "Of course, I expect the highest quality of work from all of you present here," continued the professor. "I only allow the best to pass out of my class." She winked.

"You lot are probably the best, anyway," she said, eliciting slight laughter from the class. The blonde girl to Steven's left seemed confused, as if she didn't understand the joke. Steven briefly considered explaining the joke, but he realized that he didn't even know the girl in the first place.

"So, enough about me!" said the professor. "I'd like to know all of you. Tell us about yourself, starting with you!" She pointed to a green haired girl in the front bench. Steven listened intently as everyone introduced themselves. He learnt that the lavender boy beside him was called Maurice and that he was in fact from a place called Goldenrod in Johto.

When his turn came, he carefully introduced himself, trying not to reveal that he was, in fact, the son of the President of the Devon Corporation. Since they were in Hoenn, he didn't want any unnecessary attention from anybody here. Inevitably, quite a few people in the class looked at him in awe when he mentioned his name.

The blond girl didn't seem to be particularly bothered about him, so he deduced that she wasn't from Hoenn. When the girl's turn came, she stood up and introduced herself. Steven couldn't quite decipher what her name was, but she seemed confident when talking.

When she sat back down, however, her face grew moody once more. Steven found out that she was from Kalos and was one of the Pokémon Professor's personal protégés. _She must be quite intelligent,_ he thought. Steven turned to try and start up a conversation, but her nose was buried in her textbook. She seemed to be halfway through it already.

 _Rather bookish,_ he noted.

After introductions, the professor stated clearly what she expected from them for the duration of the course and what they would be graded on. After that, she powered up the projector and launched into an introduction about Origins and the prevailing theory, the Infiltration by Meteoroid theory.

"My personal favorite, however, is the Evolution theory," said the professor, and went on to explain the second theory. She talked about it extensively and Steven had a feeling that she was personally involved in the makings of the theory.

After the explanations, the professor gave all of them a challenging look. "So," she started. "Do any of you have your own theories?" The blond girl seemed to snap into reality. Steven caught a glance of her bright blue eyes as her hand shot into the air. He smiled, suspecting that she was waiting for this moment.

Professor Juniper's eyes twinkled. "Yes, dear?" she asked. "What is your take on Pokémon Origins?" The whole class turned to face her. The girl seemed a little unsure of herself, but she took a breath and started.

"I don't think either of these theories on their own provides substantial proof," she declared. Steven's pen paused halfway above his notepad. He looked at the girl in wonder. She was rejecting the prevailing theories of the time!

The professor smiled warmly. "And why is that?" she asked. "These are mainstream theories for a very good reason." The girl shook her head.

"I feel like the Meta-Fusion theory offers a better perspective," she said, locking eyes with the Professor. The professor smiled wider.

"Of course," she said. "You're Augustine's protégé. He was never one for the well-worn path. Go on."

The girl went on about the Meta-Fusion theory while Steven furiously scribbled notes. The whole class seemed to be silenced by her voice. It was captivating and demanded attention. Steven was impressed; she seemed like the very incarnation of the ideal Origins student. It was clear that she loved the subject with a fiery passion.

Just as she concluded her answer, the bell rang. She blinked, realizing that she had been rambling on and on. She turned slightly red. "I'm sorry for taking up too much time," she said, sheepishly. The professor laughed.

"Don't worry about it," she said, assuring. "We all need a radical idea now and then. Very well presented." She looked at the rest of the class.

"We'll wrap up for today," she said. "Today's task – see what you can dig up about the Infiltration theory. We'll have a discussion tomorrow. Good day!" With that, she gathered her things and briskly walked out of the room.

Steven quickly noted the task in his notepad, and he turned to the blond girl. His curiosity was piqued. Here was finally a person who shared his interests. He was also a supporter of the Meta-Fusion theory, but he chose to be more reserved with his viewpoints until he was comfortable with the class.

However, when he turned, the girl was nowhere to be seen. He swiftly glanced down to the classroom door, but she wasn't there either. He packed his own things up and walked out of the class, ignoring a few girls who were visibly pointing at him and giggling.

His eyes scanned the campus for any sign of a gold head of hair and bright blue eyes, but she seemed to have disappeared. He finally winded up at the central fountain, and kept his bag down for a moment while he checked his schedule.

Then he saw her. He quickly looked back up to make sure if it was her. Blond hair? Check. Bright blue eyes? Check. Nose buried in textbook? Check. Steven decided that he wanted to know more about the girl. She seemed…different. She was unique. Steven felt a sort of pull drawing him to her. He had no idea what to call it. She seemed so charismatic, and yet so reserved.

Everyone around her seemed so caught up with their own friends and they were all laughing at shared jokes. They all were socializing with friends while she sat all alone, reading.

"Excuse me, Miss?"

The girl's head snapped up. She looked to see if it had been directed to her. She seemed to recognize him. Her blue eyes flickered with doubt and suspicion. Steven nodded at her to confirm that she was indeed the one being addressed.

"Yes?" she asked, closing the book after marking the page with a slip of paper. She seemed slightly confused at being talked to.

"I just wanted to discuss the theory you put forth in class today," he said. The girl's face brightened.

"Really?" she asked. She moved her books and bag to the side. "Sit," she said, patting the marble bench. Steven felt slightly awkward sitting beside her; he had never sat with another girl before. He quickly waved his thoughts away and took out his notepad.

They started discussing about the theory and Steven told her what he thought about the theory. She seemed intrigued by Steven's ideas and he felt the start of a friendship form between them. They discussed about the theory and all of its flaws. He hadn't met anybody else with the same passion for the subject as him before.

After a good fifteen minutes of discussion, the girl looked up. Steven followed her gaze. A spiky, brown haired boy gestured for her to come over. His burning gaze was fixed on him. _Her boyfriend,_ he assumed. Steven felt uncomfortable. He was unaccustomed to such blatant hostility, having grown under his father's influence.

The girl looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry," she said, picking up her things. "I have to go now." Steven stood up as well and nodded. She was turning to leave when he finally asked something that had been bothering him for some time.

"Excuse me, I didn't get your name in class," he said.

The girl turned around. "Aline," she said, after some deliberation. "Aline Larissa Carrol."

* * *

 **This is my first time writing for the Pokemon series!**

 **I have been writing this on and off for about a year now, and editing remains and the latter half of the story needs to be written.**

 **Back after almost a year-long hiatus, and by gods, it is GOOD to write again.**

 **-Author1720**


	2. Flashback 2

_Flashback 2_

"So this isn't a Dawn Stone?"

Steven turned to face his partner. She was holding a pale blue stone in her hand, and her eyes were curious.

He took a good look at the stone, and smiled.

"Actually, this _is_ a Dawn Stone," he said. The girl's face changed to one of confusion. Her blond fringe fell into her eyes, and she swept it back.

"It is?" she asked, surprised. Steven chuckled. He knew stones and rocks better than he knew people. One glance at the stone told him that it was a Dawn Stone, but a rather odd one.

"Well, Aline," he started. "This is a Dawn Stone, but it is a rare variety." Aline tilted her head unconsciously, just like she did every single time. Steven found this adorable, but he didn't comment on it.

"It's actually paler than usual," he explained, now reaching out for the stone. Aline handed it over, and he carefully rolled it over in his hands. "See this?" he asked, his gloved finger pointing to a streak of deeper blue.

Aline drew closer and squinted at the stone. "That darker streak?" she asked, looking up at him. "Yeah, I saw it." Steven nodded.

"That's part of the stone's normal coloration," he said. "This one's a rare beauty. You should keep it."

Aline accepted the rock from him, and stared at it. Steven continued polishing the rare Fire Shard he had extracted, and he glanced up after a few minutes. His partner seemed captivated by the rock. Her expression seemed dreamy, and she seemed relaxed.

"Ah…you might want to stop staring at the stone," prompted Steven. The girl snapped out of her reverie, and her eyes darted around quickly and settled on his face. Her face went slightly pink, but Steven dismissed it as a trick of the light.

"Sorry," she replied, and picked up a pink quartz ore. She started chipping away at the edges of the ore, in an attempt to isolate the crystal. Steven raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you chipping that?" he asked, puzzled. That was one of the ores that they were done with. His friend seemed to be lost in thought today.

"What?" she asked. Then she realized her mistake and quickly picked up the un-extracted olivine ore. "Oh, sorry!" She seemed flustered. Steven looked at her for a minute. She seemed especially uncoordinated today.

 _It all happened after the stone,_ he noted. _Is she that dazzled by the stone?_

He was about to return to polishing the Shard when Aline suddenly abandoned the ore and her tools. She gently picked up the Dawn Stone and held it out to Steven. "Can you break it into halves?" she asked.

Steven was shocked. That stone was probably one of its kind, and it was a perfect specimen. Never in his worst nightmares would he ever consider chipping that beauty of a rock. His eyes widened in astonishment.

"Aline, no!" he exclaimed, rather loudly. Aline flinched. "Ah, I mean, I possibly couldn't!" he amended, his tone softer. "This is a perfect specimen! Why, you could get millions for that single mineral!" Aline looked guilty.

"I'm sorry," she replied for the third time that day. She looked miserable. "Gods, everything I'm doing today is wrong." Steven's expression softened. He set down his tools and took the stone.

"What do you want to do with it, Aline?" he asked. The girl looked up.

"I-I," she stammered, collecting her thoughts. She quickly made a decision. She wrapped his fingers over the rock. Her face now seemed determined.

"I want you to have it," she said. Steven's eyes widened further. If he had found the stone, he wouldn't have parted with it for his life. This was a rare stone, and it was doubly useful, considering she could potentially evolve a Pokémon with it. A part of him badly wanted the stone, but he didn't want to steal it from its rightful owner.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I have Dawn Stones…" Aline shook her head.

"Yes," she said, her expression more determined. "I want you to have it." Steven took a look at the girl's face. Then, he smiled brightly.

"Thank you!" he said, his eyes shining. "I would be more than honored to add this to my collection!" Aline drew back, seeming happy. She gave the rock one last longing look, and returned to her work.

Steven carefully set the beauty of a rock into a special hard case, and kept it aside. He made a mental note to show this to his father and rave over it with his Pokémon once he was alone in his room.

The rest of the day passed by with minimal excitement, and the two of them carefully took note of their findings for their final projects in Geology. Aline waved him a cheerful goodbye as she was driven back to her place by their friend - _and not boyfriend,_ he thought- Gary.

Once Steven was back in his room, he took the precious stone from its place and transferred it to an airtight glass display case that he'd had custom made for such occasions. He kept it on top of his collection shelf and stood to admire it.

Then, it struck him. The day's events all made sense.

 _This Dawn Stone's special to Aline not because of its rarity,_ he realized. A tingling feeling started in his chest and it warmed him from the inside. A smile spread itself on his face.

The Dawn Stone was the exact same shade as the eyes gazing upon it.

* * *

 **If you have started reading this story, and you like it, please leave a review with your constructive criticism.**

 **This is the second flashback of three, so sit tight.**

 **If anyone is fluent in French and has the time to help me out with a few bits in the story, shoot me a PM.**

 **Thank you for your support!**

 **-Author1720**


	3. Flashback 3

_Flashback 3_

Steven felt a wave of nervousness wash over him, rendering his feet numb. This was it. He was in the semi-finals of the annual Championship of the Academy. The winner of the Championship was given the title of 'Champion of the Academy', which was a great honor.

Steven knew deep down that he wanted to win, but his opponents were extremely strong as well. He looked at his hands while he waited anxiously in the wings for the announcer to give his cue. _I'm against Aline. She is fierce and unrelenting._

He calmed himself by taking a few breaths. _I am not a pushover, either. I am just as capable as the other three._ The other three consisted of Gary, Aline and another student by the name of Virgil. He had trained long and hard for this battle. Gary had won his battle against Virgil.

 _Guess his little gimmick with the Eeveelutions didn't work out._

Virgil was by no means a sore loser, and Steven had spotted him sitting beside Gary, waiting for their match to begin. Steven looked at his Pokéballs. He had decided on a variety of Pokémon for this match, a change from his usual team of Steel Pokémon.

Aline was probably going to throw all she had at him in this match, and he had no intention of going in unprepared. He knew that Aline would bring in her Blastoise for sure, and for that very reason, he had brought along his Manectric. He sighed.

 _Even then, just type advantages won't do me any good._ He decided to open with his Skarmory and put out Spikes as the first move. That way, he'd have the upper hand. He had all his Pokémon hold various berries so that they could heal themselves of any status conditions and restore HP.

Steven was calculating the odds of Aline bringing her Umbreon along when the announcer popped in and told him that it was his cue to step out into the field. Steven nodded, and took a breath before stepping out. _Let's do this._

Steven walked out into the field, the pleasant March wind weaving through his pale blue strands. The field was absolutely huge, and it was intimidating to any newcomer. Steven chuckled to himself as he remembered his own astonishment at the field's size.

The battle ground was plain sandstone and the field markings were done with white paint. The other bits were all fresh grass. He looked up around the stands, and saw almost all the seats packed with fellow students and professors. Every student at the Academy had a pass to this match, even the first-years. Many Pokémon trainers and Gym Leaders had also come to the match.

Steven looked across the field. Aline stood there in a gold overcoat, neat white shirt and knee-length white pleated skirt. Her hair was tied in a neat ponytail and fell down her right shoulder. She held a Pokéball in her left hand and she seemed determined. She smiled at him and Steven saw her competitiveness in the smile.

 _Good luck,_ it said. _But I'm winning._

Steven grinned in return. He had no intention of losing today. The referee stepped up on the podium and read out the rules. Steven nodded along, sure that all of them applied to him and his Pokémon. The referee raised her flag.

Two screen on opposite sides of the field flickered to life, with Aline's and Steven's faces on it, along with six black circles which would be occupied by shots of their Pokémon.

Steven pressed the middle of his Ultra Ball and let it expand to its original size. Aline mirrored his action. As the flag came down, they both tossed it into the air and released their Pokémon. Steven's Skarmory cawed and flapped about five feet off the ground. On Aline's side, a Gardevoir materialized, the edges of its 'dress' swishing in the wind.

Steven smiled to himself. He had something that no one else at this Championship had. His burning passion in geology had given him an edge over Aline. Professor Augustine of Kalos had heard of his interest in rocks and stones from his father. As a token of good faith, he had sent over a very rare stone. Or rather, a pair of stones.

One sat safely on his suit's lapel, perched on a silver stickpin. A small sparkling keystone. Its pair stone was now on a bracelet like structure on his Metagross's arm. _Mega Evolution. A bond that can unleash tremendous power._ It was in its very early stages, but it was well known at the Academy. Not all Pokémon had Mega Evolutions, and Steven had only found out that his Metagross could Mega Evolve when the Kalos Professor had told him.

It was his secret weapon. Most people would dismiss the stone he wore openly as a fashion statement; after all, he was known for his interest in geology. However, he was careful around Aline. Being Augustine's protégé, he suspected that she might know a thing or two about Mega Evolution. He had managed to keep the stone out of Aline's sight.

Steven got right to work with his strategy, starting off with Spikes. Aline nodded on her side of the field. She looked at her Gardevoir a knowing look. "Grace, use Confusion!" Steven looked at his Skarmory. As the attack came barreling down on the Pokémon, it tried to swoop out of the way. However, the attack hit and the Skarmory was pushed back.

Since the move was a Psychic move, it didn't do much damage to the Pokémon. Steven wasted no time in retaliating. "Skarmory, use Night Slash!" Aline responded like lightning.

"Grace, Teleport!" The Pokémon disappeared at the last second, causing Skarmory to stop. It reappeared far behind it, on Steven's side of the field.

"Skarmory, use Toxic!" he yelled. Aline swept her hand in front of her.

"Grace, use Future Sight!" she yelled. "Try and dodge the Toxic!" The Gardevoir tried its best to dodge, but Skarmory was spot on. The Gardevoir shook the sludge away, but it was too late. Its face went purple, and the announcer declared it poisoned.

However, the very next second, his Skarmory wobbled in the air as well, and the referee declared that it was poisoned as well. Steven was shocked. Steel was supposed to be immune to Poison! Then it clicked. _Gardevoir has Synchronize! Of course!_

He felt like an idiot. Aline smirked from the other end of the field. Steven smiled. _Of course,_ he thought. _I'm against Aline. She has all sorts of tricks up her sleeve._

It wasn't till the end of the match that he realized that she, in fact, had a trick up her literal sleeve.

Steven had taken out two of Aline's Pokémon while she had taken out three of his. Now, it was his newly evolved Aggron against Aline's new Blaziken. "Blaze, use Flamethrower!" commanded Aline.

"Aggron, Iron Tail!" commanded Steven. Both Pokémon were low on health, and the hit which landed would decide the match. Blaziken's Flamethrower hit his Aggron right on its glowing tail, which conducted the heat.

Aggron staggered back, the Iron Tail attack never executed. It fell to the field and didn't move. Aline looked ecstatic. "Good job, Blaze!" she praised, and patted her Pokémon's hand. The Blaziken gave an affectionate cry in return.

Steven returned his Aggron to its Pokéball. It had done extremely well, powering through Aline's Heliolisk. "Thank you, Aggron," he whispered, clipping the Pokéball to his belt. He drew out his next Pokémon.

Aline stood there, looking as determined as ever. Things were in her favor, but Steven didn't plan on giving up easily. "Come on out, Claydol!" he cried out. The Psychic type burst onto the field, its little arms waving around in hypnotizing patterns.

"Blaziken, use Sky Uppercut!" commanded Aline. Steven felt a slight pang of panic. Sky Uppercut was quite a strong move.

"Claydol, use Extrasensory!" commanded Steven, thrusting his left arm to his side. The Sky Uppercut landed as expected, but Claydol's attack hit as well. Both Pokémon were thrown to the side. Steven was quick to act.

"Claydol, use Hypnosis!" he commanded.

"Stay alert, Blaze!" warned Aline. "Get ready to attack!" The Blaziken braced itself, but Claydol's waves of hypnosis were too strong. The Pokémon's eyelids fell shut and it slumped to the ground, asleep. Aline looked shocked.

"Now, Claydol, Extrasensory!" he commanded. The attacks hit the soundly sleeping Pokémon and took its HP to zero. Aline took a deep breath. Steven could see that the Blaziken's fainting had an effect on her. He felt sorry, but this was a battle that he trained hard and long for.

Aline set her face. Her fingers curled over a Pokéball. She tossed it into the air nonchalantly. A Blastoise materialized on the field. Steven smiled knowingly. He had expected this very Pokémon to be on the field today. Yet, something seemed different about the Pokémon.

The audience gasped when the Pokémon made a full turn around. Then it struck him. The Blastoise had a sort of ribbon-sash thing around it that housed a sparkling stone on the shell. _A Mega Stone?!_

Aline raised her sleeve, and from a delicate silver bracelet hung a keystone. She raised it up into the air as Steven gaped. "Bubble, let this be a sign of our bond! Mega Evolve!"

An orb of shining white light surrounded the Pokémon as tendrils of light shot from the keystone to the Mega Stone. Steven watched in wonder as the Pokémon Mega-Evolved in front of him. The orb disappeared and a wave of force washed over him while the Mega Evolution symbol blazed in the air in its multicolored glory.

 _Of course. Aline had a Mega Stone all along. What else was I expecting?_

"Claydol, Reflect!" he commanded at once, not wasting any time. Aline smiled.

"Bubble, use Surf!" she yelled. A huge wave of water rose up on Aline's side of the field and bore down on Claydol. Its Reflect was of not much use in the face of sheer power. Its HP fell straight to zero. Steven straightened. He decided that he wasn't going to waste time playing around.

"Go, Metagross!" His pride and joy of more than seventeen years appeared on the field. On its arm was a bracelet with a Mega Stone embedded in it. Aline seemed surprised that he had his own Mega Stone, but she smirked when she saw the stickpin on his lapel.

He raised the keystone up to his face and said the words. "Let the stone be proof of our bond! Metagross, Mega Evolve!" His Metagross was enveloped in a shining orb of white light and Steven watched its arms lengthen and grow stronger.

With a deafening roar, the orb of light fractured, and the multicolored symbol burned in the air. Aline grinned. He could see the thrill in her eyes. He could feel his own heart thumping away furiously. He felt like letting out a laugh; the euphoria from the adrenaline was flooding his mind.

He felt a surge of power course through him as he said, "Metagross, Meteor Mash!" Aline smiled from the other side of the field.

"Bubble, Hydro Pump!" she yelled. Both attacks collided mid-field and there was an explosion. The audience was dead silent while the smoke dissipated. It cleared to show a Mega Metagross and Mega Blastoise standing, seemingly unharmed.

The audience burst in a mixture of cheering and groaning. Aline nodded to herself. It was going to be her toughest opponent yet. She flipped her blond ponytail behind her shoulder and kept her left hand on her hip.

Steven smiled at her pose. She seemed confident, cocky even. It was almost like she was taunting him. _Her hair looks really nice…-What?!_

Steven had to shake the thought out of his head. Why was he bothered about her hair, of all things? He looked at his Metagross and focused.

"Metagross, Giga Impact!" he yelled. Aline's eyes sparkled.

"Bubble, counter with Surf!" she yelled. Mega Metagross charged forward with Giga Impact while Mega Blastoise rushed atop a wave. The Metagross shot for the Blastoise above the wave, but the Blastoise dove into the wave at the last second.

Mega Metagross followed with surprising speed and the Mega Blastoise was thrown back, while the wave came crashing down on Mega Metagross. Aline looked at her Pokémon encouragingly.

"Come on, Bubble!" she said. "We can do this!" The Blastoise got to its feet, looking like it had just healed up. Steven felt a warm feeling in his chest seeing her unrelenting spirit. _Her eyes are so blue, and her smile is divine._

Once again, Steven was bewildered. Why was he feeling this way all of a sudden? _Stop it! It'll cost me the battle!_ Yet, he couldn't take his eyes off his best friend. She seemed so alive and bubbly. He never wanted to see that face sad.

The battle continued fiercely, with both Mega Evolutions not giving up. After a few repeated hits of Giga Impact, Aline's Mega Blastoise's endurance seemed to be down. The girl's eyes blazed with life as she called for her Pokémon to keep fighting.

"Bubble, use Hydro Cannon!" she yelled, raising her left hand high in the air.

"Metagross, counter with Meteor Mash!" he yelled. Both Pokémon shot towards each other. Mega Metagross managed to weave through the Hydro Cannon as the Blastoise seemed to have a little trouble controlling the aim. Then, with decisive force, it slammed into the Mega Blastoise.

Smoke covered the field. It dissipated to reveal a fainted Blastoise. The crowd burst into applause. Steven felt a smile grown on his face. "Excellent, Metagross!" he said, and his Pokémon bobbed in reply. Aline smiled.

"Thank you, Bubble," she said, returning the Pokémon. "You were amazing." She clipped it back and took out her second last Pokémon. "Come on out, Purple!"

A Haunter materialized on the field. _A Ghost type?_

Aline wasted no time. "Purple, use Destiny Bond!" she said. Steven smirked. It was a smart move, but it now gave him a chance to heal his Metagross up. Full Restores were banned in the competition. Only Hyper Potions and similar products were allowed. Steven pulled out a Hyper Potion and healed his Metagross.

Aline didn't seem pleased. She seemed to realize her move was executed at the wrong time. "Purple, use Shadow Ball!" Steven saw his opening.

"Metagross, counter with Bullet Punch!" he commanded. Both attacks hit, but Aline's Haunter took the worst of it. Its HP fell to yellow right away. Steven saw Aline look down, thinking hard. It was clear that it wouldn't stand another turn with Mega Metagross.

She looked up, determined. Steven smiled. _She never gives up._

"Purple, use Confuse Ray!" she said. Steven saw her strategy. It was a sound one, if it worked out.

"Metagross, use Meteor Mash!" he yelled. The Haunter waited till Metagross was as close as possible. Just moments before Metagross struck, it used Confuse Ray. The Haunter took the hit, and dissolved into mist. It reappeared on the ground, fainted.

Now, Steven and Aline were on the same level, with one Pokémon each. Aline still had the advantage, but Steven was glad that he could bring them to a level playing field. Aline took a breath and closed her eyes. Her fingers curled over her last Pokéball.

She tossed it high into the air, and caught it perfectly. A flash of red light revealed her final Pokémon. An Umbreon. Steven nodded. He knew it. Aline's Umbreon, Eclipse, was one of her best Pokémon, on par with her starter, Blastoise.

Mega Metagross wobbled slightly due to its confusion, but it held its ground. Steven knew that if the effect kicked in at the right time, it could very well be his demise.

"Eclipse, let's do this!" she yelled. "Use Shadow Ball!"

Steven curled his fingers into a fist. This was it. "Metagross, use Bullet Punch!" he yelled. Both attacks hit, and Aline's Umbreon was thrown back. It got to its feet quickly, facing Metagross once more.

"Eclipse, use Dark Tide!" she yelled. Steven froze. _Dark Tide? What's that?_

Aline had an expression of concentration. Steven realized that it might be a custom move. If so, it would be quite powerful. The Umbreon reared up on its hind legs, and dark wisps of mist rose from the whole field. It swirled and gathered into an orb by the Umbreon's front paws.

"Metagross, counter with Meteor Mash!" he yelled. The Umbreon waited till the last moment and launched its attack. Mega Metagross struck first, throwing the Umbreon back. Then, the orb of darkness collided with Metagross, causing it to stagger back.

The Umbreon struggled to its feet on its side of the field. Steven gaped when he saw the damage the attack did to his Metagross. It took it right to red. His eyes darted to the girl. She stood there, her hair a little ruffled, her face sleek with sweat.

Looking at her, Steven felt the same warmth course through him. It grew intense, and it felt like his heart was about to beat its way out of his chest. His vision tunneled, and he could only see her in his sights.

 _She is still fighting, still strong. She is beautiful and smart. She is…perfect._

He swallowed, and turned his attention back to the battle. "Metagross, use Bullet Punch!" Aline lost her voice. Steven realized that she had expected the battle to be over. At that moment, the Confuse Ray kicked in.

Mega Metagross wobbled erratically, its arms swinging wildly. It hit itself in its dazed state. Its HP slid down to zero. Aline's eyes widened. Steven's heart beat harder.

Then, its eyes rolled up and it fell to the field, devolving into Metagross. _Aline won,_ thought Steven. Aline was still frozen, shocked. Then, the audience roared in triumph, and a smile slowly spread across Aline's face. She turned to her Umbreon, ecstatic.

"Eclipse, we won, we won!" she cried out, hugging her partner. The tired Pokémon gave a happy cry and nuzzled its Trainer.

Steven recalled his fainted Pokémon into its ball. The win was entirely luck-based. _There were always be a winner, and a loser._ Steven didn't feel a single ounce of disappointment. Seeing Aline like that made him feel like he was over the moon.

That's when it struck him. The feelings he had been keeping inside him finally burst into his conscious mind. A familiar tingling sensation ran down him.

 _I…_

His face broke into a grin. Aline looked at him for a fleeting moment, and he saw the same feeling hidden in her eyes. His suspicions were finally proven correct.

 _I love her. And she loves me._

* * *

 **And that's it for the flashbacks. Steven and Aline are teenagers in these flashbacks.**

 **The story picks up from now on.**

 **If you like this story, feel free to drop a review. Constructive criticism is always appreciated.**

 **Once again, if anyone is well-versed in French and has time to help me out with certain parts of the story, send me a PM!**

 **Thank you for your support!**

 **-Author1720**


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